The invention relates to brassieres.
It is well-known to provide brassieres with cups that are stiffened across a lower edge, traditionally with whale-bone, a plastic strip or metal wire, and cups that a xe2x80x98fashionedxe2x80x99 or padded to some extent to improve the shape or form of breasts when the brassiere is worn. The cups are each usually made of an inner and outer cover (or liner) so as to embrace the xe2x80x98strengthenerxe2x80x99 and the padding and to hold them in position. Strong stitching is used conventionally for fixing and holding the strengthener in position which can lead to certain discomfort in use. Relatively strong sticking is used to hold the covers together at or near an upper edge cup seam. The upper seam may also be decorated but in any event causes a visible line across the torso when the brassiere is worn and otherwise completely obscured from view even by or especially by a normal thin outer garment.
It is an object of the invention to overcome or at least reduce these problems.
According to the invention there is provided a brassiere having cups formed of thin plastics material in which each cup is formed with an inner layer and an outer layer that each extend over the surface area of the cup and are joined together around at least substantially the whole periphery of the cup, an elongate strengthener that extend across adjacent a lower edge of the cup, and an uplifting pad entrapped between the inner and outer layers, in which the layers are joined together without stitching adjacent the periphery of the cup to hold the strengthener in position.
Preferably the layers are heat fused together.
Preferably the inner and outer layers each extend from the cups to form at least part of lengths of fused together body and shoulder straps of the brassiere.
Preferably the padding is provided with a fusable adhesive on least parts of its outer surfaces that are fused to the inner and/or outer liners after assembly of the brassiere.
Preferably each liner is formed of thin sponge-backed fabric and joined with the sponge backs joined together.